Activity Ideas for Children and Bird Watching

If you think bird watching is boring then you probably haven't seen a child doing this particular activity. Children can get so fascinated with the world around them. Bird watching has created true delightful excitement for so many children. It's time to try it with your own kids.

Here are some activities you can try with your own children to help them learn about the joy of bird watching.

• A good pair of binoculars is essential for bird watching. The smallest birds can have the biggest impact on children. Teach them how to properly handle and care for binoculars or spotting scopes. Then let them watch different birds looking for behaviors.
• Try getting a number of coloring pages of birds that can be found in your backyard. Have your child find the birds and observe their true colors in the wild before coloring in the pages.
• Be sure to add sound to your bird watching time. Song birds are delightful to listen to while watching them sing. Get a book that also shares recordings of different bird songs, so you can both identify which bird is making which sounds.
• Keep a running list of the birds you discover in your backyard. Let your children tell you what new things they have learned while watching each of the birds. Record this for future reference. Each time you have bird-watching session with your child, try to find new behaviors, activities or colors in each bird.
• Use a list of common backyard birds to see how many your child can find during each bird-watching session. Look for more unusual birds that might not be on your list, yet. Add them and learn about them with your child.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started thinking about having bird-watching time with your children. Both of you will find this fun and educational hobby to be enjoyable.